Jazz Exam 1

people of mixed black and white ancestry often from NO; until late 19th century, they had more freedom and were more educated than blacks; musicians from this group generally had classical training and could read music

creoles

a music competition in which players try to surpass or "cut" one another in the brilliance of their improvisations

cutting contest

Duke Ellington put a big band group together (Washingtonians, more sweet than hot) in NY and fashioned it after Henderson's group; Ellington the most celebrated bandleader and composer in the history of jazz; stride based pianist too; band had growl and gutbucket sounds that gave music a jungle feel; played upon each artist's individual strengths

duke ellington

the volume of sound from very soft to very loud

dynamics

I bang fat hippos Instrumentation: cornet, trumpet, trombone, tuba, clarinet, piano brass band form and harmony: symmetrical sections (8, 16, and 32 measures), forms of songs especially AABA and ABAC (8 measure sections creating overall 32 measure form), harmony uses chord progressions typical of european music and operates within an overall key

european influence on jazz (4 main points)

1917 Original Dixieland Jazz Band; cornetist Freddie Keppard was given opportunity but refused b/c he didn't want people to figure out how he played; novelty of early jazz bands was idea of performance built solely on improvisation; ODJB recorded "Livery Stable Blues" and "Dixieland Jass Band One Step"; helped spread jazz craze throughout US as more bands recorded and new musicians could listen to songs, modeling themselves after famous bands as well as local

first jazz recording

NY pianist; Louis Armstrong left Chicago to be in his band as the 3rd trumpeter; Redman was the band's arranger and when he left, henderson took over; Henderson's band of the twenties and early thirties formed a crucial link to the succeeding swing era; with careful chemistry of ensemble passages and solo playing, the group played role in development of big band; ensemble writing was written to sound like the hot solo improvisations, bringing a singing style of ensemble playing which became the signature sound of big bands

fletcher henderson

refers to the overall structure or plan of a piece of music; it describes the layout of a composition as divided into sections (google) the organization of music in time by dividing a work into individual units called sections. sections are labeled with a capital letter (examples: 12 bar blues, 16 bar AABA form) (book)

form

described the lead (melody) instruments in early jazz bands and usually included trumpet (or cornet), trombone, and clarinet. the saxophone, while occurring in early jazz, became popular in later jazz styles

front line

musical form in which the singer typically repeats the first line (A) of the lyric in the second line. the third line (B) supplies a lyric that answers or explained the A line and often rhymes with it -> AAB form

12 bar blues

form that presents the melody in four sections; each section is eight bars long for a total of 32 bars. the eight bar theme (A) plays twice and a contrasting melody (B) follows and the A theme returns; quite often the second and third A sections will vary slightly

AABA 32 bar song form

known as "king" in NO for his outstanding cornet playing; moved to chicago in 1918; the band's recordings are some of the earliest and best works in the history of jazz; altered the sound of his cornet with mutes, cups, and glasses; group had highly integrated ensemble sound; late 1920s recordings of king oliver show the trend toward more-arranged jazz, trend which progressed through the decade

Joe "king" oliver

harlem stride pianist; considered to be one of the most talented jazz instrumentalists ever; blind; took stride to the ultimate level and beyond (Tiger Rag 1933) reharmonization of popular tunes expanded jazz; did renditions of light classical pieces in a virtuoso format at fast tempos; treatment of popular melodies and chordal enrichment influenced emerging bebop scene; expanded vocabulary of stride and swing piano with: timing of chords (used left hand for chords on all 4 beats instead of alternating between chords and bass notes), runs (used runs more consistently and more elaborately), rapidity (increased dexterity and speed), and harmony (most harmonically advanced)

art tatum

refers to the manner in which notes are played as in legato, a smooth movement through a series of notes, or staccato, short notes with distinct spaces between them

articulation

fletcher henderson and duke ellington (East St. Louis Toodle-oo); big band had a section of instruments (a section of each: trumpet, trombone, reeds, rhythm) for each instrument in a NO-style band; required written arrangements in rehearsal; early history of big band murky, but major NY based groups led by Whiteman and Henderson solidified the use of big band sectional formulas and textures for the 1930s;

beginnings of big bands; 2 people associated with it

a characteristic of blues

blues notes and syncopation

cornet (used before the trumpet) trumpet, trombone, tuba (bass used before string base); cornet/trumpet: lead, trombone: lower counterpoint or counter melody, clarinet: upper obbligato

brass instruments and roles in regards to early jazz

famous NO jazz musician; considered the first jazz musician ever, played cornet but never recorded many NO musicians attributed the start of the rougher, improvised style to him; style of improvisation was based on "ragging" the melodies; played the blues; "hot" black cornetist; formed band in 1895 and played throughout NO

buddy bolden

musical procedure in which a single voice or instrument states a melodic phrase (call) and a group of voices or instruments follows with a responding or completing phase (response)

call and response

Chicago: 2nd generation of jazz musicians, many are white, heavily influenced by NO musicians that moved to Chicago, influenced by "sweet" bands Bix: cornetist, 2nd to Louis in popularity and influence, while armstrong's playing was exuberant, swinging, wide-ranging (hot), bix's was even, smaller range, less vibrato, with a beautiful mellow and lyrical tone (cool), self taught cornetist and pianist; worked with saxophonist and fellow Chicagoan Frank Trumbauer, alcoholic

chicagoans and bix beiderbecke

a sequence of chords usually within a composition

chord progression

some of the main musical influences on jazz; spirituals came out of the influence of christianity on slaves, featured call and response, christian lyrical content, helped deal with hardships; work songs helped pass time, set a tempo/beat to work to, call and response, percussion

christianity, ring shout, spirituals, and work songs

the simultaneous improvising of the New Orleans (Dixieland) jazz ensemble.

collective improvisation

period of outstanding artistic activity among African americans (that were well educated and well-to-do) that was centered in harlem in new york city (1921-1929)

harlem renaissance

cutting contests characteristics: left hand "Boom Chunk" right hand "melody" NY

harlem stride piano

defines a chord, generally a group of three or four notes played simultaneously

harmony

a performance technique in which the improvisor or soloist spontaneously creates a melody that fits the form and harmony of the piece

improvisation

inside: playing melodic lines that favor notes of the harmonies outside: playing notes that depart from the chords of a piece

inside/outside

"Father of Stride Piano"; composer-pianist in NY; with strong classical background; combined ragtime with elements of blues and jazz; composed "Carolina Shout" and pieces for broadway musicals; child of Harlem Renaissance, composed large-scale concert works that placed elements of jazz and Arical American music in classical forms and models

james p. johnson

England initially but Paris became epicenter for jazz in europe 2 important early european jazz musicians: guitarist Django reinhardt and violinist stephane grappelli django created why is now called "gypsy jazz" as he was a gypsy that fused elements of jazz and gypsy fold music, also had a unique approach to playing the guitar with disfigured left hand

jazz in europe

In the 1920s NY produced a well educated and well-to-do class of african americans(harlem renaissance) authors, artists, poet, politicians, etc. of high stature names like W.E.B du bois (author/political leader), James Weldon Johnson (author), James Reese Europe (composer/band leader), William Grant Still (classical composer) these high standards impacted jazz (irony of jazz and HR) harlem stride piano composers like Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington tin pan alley

jazz in new york

claimed to have invented jazz in 1902; pianist and composer-arranger and one of the most influential NO musicians who was a Creole of Color; played wide variety of music like rags, blues, and stomps; one of first pianists to transform ragtime into a more linear jazz style such as "Maple Leaf Rag; balanced improvisation and worked-out arrangements; produced first interracial jazz recording with NO Rhythm Kings in 1923

jelly roll morton

famous NO jazz musician; trumpeter and singer, popularized scat singing, trumpet virtuoso, terminal vibrato, first elite recorded soloist (West End Blues 1928) most powerful voice in early jazz b/c he was better than other trumpeters, emphasized logical and brilliant solo improvisation, and had ability to generate swing in his playing; used terminal vibrato to add excitement and movement to notes at the end of phrases; sang scat; hot cornet player with NO style of improvisation; switched to trumpet in 1927; unconstrained or uninhibited; played with Hines, in The Hot Five, Dickerson's band, All Stars, Creole Jazz Band, Fletcher Henderson's band; first black to have a radio program; influenced Eisenhower to take action with segregation in Little Rock; ambassador for US goodwill in Cold War;

louis armstrong

.5 million blacks moved north b/w 1916 and 1919 b/c of city jobs that paid fairly; Chicago community responded positively to demand for black music; important to development of jazz in Chicago, whites could hear black bands; 1919 Prohibition amendment -> alcohol in speakeasies where most of jazz players found employment; chicago's opportunities attracted NO musicians and they adapted to more sophisticated venues; extended engagements and competition made 2 important things: creation of distinct ensembles w/ their own characteristic arrangements and development of individual, improvisational skill; chicago bands played fast tempo and organizations urged fast tempos eliminate immoral slower dances which resulted in more sweet bands; NO musicians that went to Chicago had opportunity to record so we can hear what hot bands sound like in 1910s-1920s

migration north

very racist and showcased bad stereotypes; form of US musical theater and variety show; traveling troupes performed songs, dances, and skits based on caricatures of African Americans; performed both by blacks and whites in blackface, often considered the first distinctively US genre of music

minstrelsy

considered birth place of jazz

new orleans

typical instruments: cornet, clarinet, trombone, piano, banjo, tuba, drums front line: cornet, clarinet, trombone improvised ensemble sections with cornet on lead (melody) with improvised support by clarinet and trombone driving rhythmic feel "hot" style with exuberant performances

new orleans jazz - dixieland - traditional jazz

white in NY jazz (from CO tho); increased popular appeal of jazz; became one of the most successful American bandleaders during the 1920s by incorporating jazz elements within an orchestral format; called the "King of Jazz"; pieces: "Whispering" and "Japanese Sandman"; style influenced Duke Ellington and James P Johnson

paul whiteman

piano, vibraphone, drums

percussion instruments and roles in regards to early jazz

a set of measures in a section

phrase

a note's sound relative to its place higher or lower on the music scale

pitch

my castrated seal died peacefully 1. metronomic sense: african musicians maintained a steady underlying pulse throughout a performance 2. call and response: solo vocalist sings and group responds; in african traditions the group response tends to overlap the original solo part 3. off-beat phrasing of melodic accents: unexpected accenting of weaker notes within the melody (AKA syncopation) 4. dominance of percussion: in african music percussion instruments are plentiful and used more than melodic ones; melodic instruments are sometimes played percussively 5. polyrhythm: intricate web of rhythms heard among the different parts

preservation of african traditions (5 main points)

scott joplin=ragtime's most famous composer "Maple Leaf Rag"; features: european influences on form (with many sections), syncopation, improvisation, piano rolls; african american musical genre that's based on constant syncopation in the right hand and accompanied by a steady march base in the left hand usually played on piano

ragtime; person associated with it

the experience of music through time; isn't necessarily regular

rhythm

a part of a jazz band that provides the rhythmic pulse, harmonies and bass line. it may include piano, guitar, bass, and/or drums. early bands sometimes included banjo and tuba in place of guitar and bass

rhythm section

dancing in a circle, counter clockwise motion, singing, drumming, body percussion, climax with frenzy; it was a released and helped them cope with their ugly realities

ring shout

contained set of measures that is labeled with capital letters (A, B, C) and is part of a system that allows us to describe a work's form

section

boundaries became blurred b/w 1910 and 1920 and different people used the terms differently; some suggested differences were regional b/c some NO jazz musicians always referred to their music as ragtime while the term "jazz" became fashionable in northern urban areas; early jazz musicians used ragtime forms (with 16 bar strains) alongside more modern 32 bar AABA form so it makes absolute distinctions difficult to ascertain

shift of ragtime to jazz

famous NO jazz musician; clarinetist and soprano saxophonist, wide vibrato, helped popularize jazz in europe one of most important early players from NO that began as a clarinetist but took on soprano sax; clarinet sound: rich and woody, modulated by a quick and wide vibrato; sax: experimental and freewheeling (unconstrained or uninhibited); received the first high praise for artistic quality in a jazz performance/musician when European Ansermet said he was an "artist of genius" b/c of a performance in 1919; recorded with Louis Armstrong in 1920s; "Mandy Make up Your Mind" 1924 and "Cake Walking Babies"

sidney bechet

banjo (used before the guitar), guitar, string bass (used for bass instead of tuba)

string instruments and and roles in regards to early jazz

disruption of regular meter that occurs when the weaker notes receive unexpectedly stronger accents, as in the second and fourth beats in 4/4 meter receiving stronger accents (book) a temporary displacement of the regular metrical accent in music caused typically by stressing the weak beat (google)

syncopation

the density of musical sound as determined by the instruments (or voices) hards, the number of instruments, and the number of notes or sounds being played by them. textures are often described as thick (many notes heard) or thin (few notes); can create timbre

texture

bessie smith=most beloved blues singer; african american folk music that exerted influence on jazz; has a different note scale and 2 types: country blues and urban blues; characteristics: loose phrasing, syncopation, slides, and blues notes rural vs urban: spontaneous expression of thought/mood vs. planned, arranged texts and music; fluid use of form vs. precise form; commonly a solo performer accompanying self on a guitar vs. a group of instruments

the blues; person associated with it

the specific quality of a given instrument or voice (i.e. mellow, soft, bright, exciting); can be created by texture

timbre

collective name applied to the major new york city sheet music publishers that flourished from mid 1800s to mid 20th century

tin pan alley

a western musical system in which pieces are organized according to harmony within some ket or with respect to some central pitch (book) the character of a piece of music as determined by the key in which it is played or the relations between the notes of a scale or key (google)

tonality

method of varying the pitch frequency of a note, producing a wavering sound; heard mostly on wind, strings, and vocals; brings a note to life

vibrato

a person highly skilled in music or another artistic pursuit.

virtuoso

saxophone, clarinet, flute

woodwind instruments and roles in regards to early jazz